Shores of Loneliness
by TheDrunkenWerewolf
Summary: Lonely merman Byakuya Kuchiki spends an evening on the surface watching some humans having fun, and ends up saving a certain redhead from drowning. RenBya (or ByaRen). Mermaid au which is part of the Merverse series. Can be read independently.
1. Chapter 1

Business: I do not own Bleach. I do however own the Merverse (this mermaid AU series). Thanks to my friend SesshomaruFreak for the prompt it was fun to write.

Illust: coming soon  
wordcount: 1706

a/n: Sesh wanted some lonely Byakuya and it was perfect for Merverse so here we are. This was designed as a oneshot throwaway ficlet with references to my other fic Kraken's Sacrifice. But if people like/enjoy this and it gets a good response I will consider continuing this one as a multichapter. I have a few ideas for this storyline/storyverse I might like to play with.

So if you like my work, let me know! :)

Notes: past Byakuya/Hisana. Implied future Renji/Byakuya. Mild angst/loneliness. Little mermaid references. Story cross references. Probably a lot of cliches.

Enjoy.

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**Shores of Loneliness**

It wasn't easy, being a noble in the Mer king's court. There was always so much to do. So many expectations he had to live up to. So many standards he had to maintain. And there was so much pressure from his clan elders to keep pushing for an even higher position of power. Which in itself was insulting, but what was worse were their suggested methods to get this elevated status.

One suggested manipulating the right people, those closest to the king, which went against every code of ethics he had. Another suggested he grow close to the prince, so he could secure power when the old king eventually died. It would only be for another fifty years or so, he said. But Byakuya refused to dishonour both himself and the Kuchiki name by whoring himself out like that. No matter how attractive prince Sousuke was, he wasn't stupid, and Sousuke deserved to be with someone who loved him. So Byakuya firmly refused. It was hard enough being in the upper schools of society without him adding more difficulties.

He shook his head. No. He would be a better merman than that.

But still, life was hard, and after one particularly difficult day being in meeting after meeting and then being at court, Byakuya found it all weighed heavily on him. His heart was a stone that kept him weighted down to the bottom of the sea.

He wished he had somebody to talk to someone who wouldn't look at his title or his status and just see _him._

Unfortunately, he doubted he'd find anyone like that down here. And especially not at court.

He sighed and swam to the mirror in his room, blankly looking into it as he removed the seashell ornaments from his long black hair; the symbols of his status handed down to him by his beloved late grandfather. He laid them down on the table and stared at his own reflection, wondering if he'd always looked this lonely.

What he wouldn't give to have someone. In the years since his wife Hisana passed away, he'd been so lonely. Everyone in the kingdom or at least the court seemed to be happening paired off with the and the Prince was betrothed to a girl. Fair enough, Sousuke hadn't met her yet, and the negotiations between the families were still currently ongoing, but still. At least the Prince would have someone. Even if it was an arranged marriage.

Byakuya wondered if he'd ever marry again. He shook his head. Probably not. After all, who could replace Hisana?

He sighed again, partly wishing he could simply drift away from this life on the nearest current. Maybe having someone wasn't meant for him. Maybe Posseidon had other plans for him. Some higher purpose in mind for him instead.

Maybe. But those were questions for the philosophers and prophets and seers. He had more worldly concerns. Like getting enough sleep so he didn't sit at the meeting with the clan elders yawning his head off. So he swam into his bed, hoping sleep would take him quickly so at least he could stop thinking so much about it all.

. . .

Sleep did not come to him. It eluded him, as so many things did. After several failed attempts to find it, he gave up and decided on a midnight swim. At the very least, it would relax him. So he left the Manor quietly, careful not to make a sound, and slipped out and away into the moonlit ocean. Perhaps he would go and observe the humans. There was a pub by the docks that he frequently sat nearby and it was always interesting to see the drunken humans enjoying themselves.

Yes, it sounded like a good idea, and exactly what he needed. So he did just that. And made his way to the harbour close by to sit and peoplewatch. And as he did so, he felt all of his cares simply melt away.

. . .

As he watched them, he was tempted many times to go and join them, they sounded like they were having such fun. They'd probably have a couple of things to say about his tail, though. He wasn't a selkie. He couldn't just slip it off and grow legs the second he touched dirt or sand. At least he didn't think so. He hadn't had any opportunity to try. What with those stuffy Elders around.

He shook his head, freeing it from the thoughts._ No, only selkies can do that. I can't grow legs. Not unless I paid the Sea Witch a visit. The one everyone calls the Sea Hag..._

He shivered a little at that thought. _No... not a good idea. She never gives without taking something of equal value. The law of equivalent exchange..._

_And they say there's always some twist you never see coming._

He carefully pushed that thought away. Best to avoid the Sea Hag, if he could help it. Any involvement with her only spelled trouble, and for the leader of the Kuchiki clan, trouble was best avoided. So he settled with just watching the drunken human revellers as they staggered in and out of the pub and living vicariously through them.

One such trio caught his attention as they stumbled out of the place, beer bottles in hand. Three young men on their way home after a raucous night of drinking and merrymaking. There was a bald man, thick and muscular, on one side. A more feminine, slender ravenette on the other. And in the middle of the two was the most captivating man Byakuya had ever seen.

His hair was red, the colour of the most vibrant coral. His eyes were bright and sharp, and his body was strong and tanned from years of work under the sun. there were strange black markings on his body, particularly around his eyebrows and on his forehead, and Byakuya instantly found himself captivated. Who was this man? And why had Byakuya never seen him before?

He watched closely, peering over the wall of the harbour, wanting to know more. Fortunately, the trio seemed to be coming his way. But Byakuya knew he had to be careful. If they discovered him and found out what he was, they might well lock him up in a cage and sell him off to Barnum's infamous Circus. He shuddered at the thought. Many a merfolk told such awful stories about that place and that man. Horrible, awful stories...

Byakuya pushed those nightmarish thoughts away violently. Focusing instead on the enchanting human before him. Convincing himself it would be okay, if he remained cautious.

He watched them laugh and joke about something, and start to sing some bawdy drunken balled that to Byakuya – who'd grown up with the finest choirs in all of Undersea – sounded like a cacophony of seagulls more than a song. But they were having fun, so his ears tuned out the noise.

He watched and listened as they sang badly and laughed, and tried to stagger home, when the red haired man separated from the other two and bid them goodnight. They questioned him, asking if he was alright to walk back to his boat (he had had a lot to drink, after all). But the redhead dismissed their concerns.

"Psh, nah, 'm fine guys," he slurred. "You's two go on home, I'll be fine." and then he turned to walk away before either of the two could stop him.

He turned and walked... directly off the edge of the harbour. And landed in the water with a large splash.

Byakuya's blood froze. _Oh, Neptune._ This was the bit where he got discovered. And subdued. And captured. And sold into slavery or abuse or who knew what.

He held his breath. Waited for the man to surface. To see him.

But none of that happened.

Instead, the man floundered about in the salty water and then sank like a stone.

He couldn't swim.

Without thinking, Byakuya dived under the water after him, suddenly determined to not let him drown. His body adjusting quickly and seamlessly to breathe the water instead of the air. He swam downwards as the man struggled against the water, only sinking further. Gasping for and but only getting a lungful of water for his trouble.

Byakuya swam deeper, propelling himself into the deep blue. He grabbed the red haired man under the armpits and swam back up towards the surface. When their heads broke the surface of the water and they inhaled the air, the human coughed and spluttered. Whereas Byakuya's lungs naturally and quickly readjusted to breathing the air again. One of the perks of being a mer-creature. And one he very much enjoyed, though he knew the change was only easy because of so much practice.

He heard the human's friends shouting for him. _"Renji!"_ and looked around him for a way up. Preferably one that wouldn't get him discovered. It was risky enough just rescuing this one human. He didn't want to involve more humans. So he set off towards the beach instead. At this time of night there wouldn't be anyone there, so he could take his human there and make sure he was alright without anyone seeing.

Byakuya swam as fast as he could, which as it turned out wasn't very fast. He needed to keep the human's head above the water, which took a lot of effort. How did humans swim like this? It would be a lot easier and faster to swim underwater.

It was slow going. But the man didn't resist him, so that was in Byakuya's favour. But even so, by the time Byakuya got to the beach, his arms were aching and his tail was heavy with exhaustion. So when he finally managed to heave the man onto the sand, he collapsed too. Lying next to the gasping and shivering human, panting heavily and just trying to catch his breath again. He just hoped the human wouldn't turn on him, now his life was out of danger.

"Hey," Byakuya heard a voice next to him as he pushed the dark wet hair off his face. "Thanks for... saving me."

Byakuya turned his head to look at the man. Eyes widening. _Oh Neptune,_ he was even more captivating up close.

"You're-" Byakuya croaked. Swallowing to loosen his tight throat so his words would come out more easily. "You're welcome," he answered. Finding his voice was, thank Neptune, calm and steady when he spoke.


	2. Chapter 2

a/n - Hoooooly cow the responses! Wasn't expecting this for such a throwaway au prompt ficlet I wrote in an hour! Thanks to SesshomaruFreak, Dalia2, Spunky0ne, and Midnight_Hunter16 over on ao3 for enabling the continuation of this story. Now I wish this was my main ship...

I will post chapters for this as they get written. Unfortunately i cannot guarantee regular updates due to other bigger projects for the otp I want done before posting if i post them (Smoke being one of those) and perhaps some original stories i want to get back to doing, but I will do my best. Especially if people like this one and the other Aizen/Gin mermaid au one.

So if you like this one drop a comment and let me know :) Thanks and enjoy.

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**Chapter 2**

Renji spent a good few moments just gazing at the man who'd rescued him. God, he was beautiful. There seemed to be something unearthly about him, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it. When he got his breath back, he'd get a much better look at him, he decided.

"Hey," he panted softly, "What's your name?"

"It's Byakuya," The man answered, voice equally soft. And holy crap his voice was so refined! "Byakuya Kuchiki."

Renji sighed quietly. "That's a nice name."

"What's yours?" Byakuya asked him. "It would be nice to know the name of the person I rescued."

Renji swallowed to clear his suddenly-very-dry throat. "It's Renji. Renji Abarai," he said, slowly sitting up to look at the man. He was sitting up now as well, and seemed to be studying him intently, with a sense of fascination and wonder. Renji found it odd that such a wonder, and a beautiful man at that – with those grey eyes and long raven hair – was doing looking a dope like him for. But still, it felt nice, so he wasn't going to question it.

"Will you be okay getting back to your home from here?" Byakuya spoke again. Prompting Renji to look around him and realise that he knew where he was. He could easily make his way home from here. "Yeah, I'll be fine," he answered. "I'm sure I'll make it."

He watched Byakuya nod in approval. "That's good."

Renji nodded, "Yeah, don't worry 'bout me. I'll be fine. I'm sure I'll be able to make it. I've made it home in worse states than just cold and wet."

Byakuya smiled at that. "If you say so. I mean, I _would _offer to help get you home, but..."

"Yeah, I get it." Renji said. "You gotta get back home to whatever mansion ya live in before ya get caught."

Byakuya blinked at that, looking a little confused. "I do not live in a mansion."

"Aw what the fu-" Renji stammered. "C'mon. I may be a bit drunk but I aint gullible. Cearly yer like, royalty er somethin'."

Byakuya shook his head. "If you mean 'nobility', then yes. I am. But I assure you, Renji, I am not royalty."

"Oh," Renji said. Feeling slightly silly. "Well, I was half right I guess."

"Yes," Byakuya smiled kindly. "But that's not the only reason I can't help you get home."

Renji scratched his wet head and wring out his sopping wet ponytail. "And what's the other reason?" he asked.

"Well," Byakuya began, somewhat hesitantly. "I..."

Renji leant forward a little, waiting to hear this but unfortunately his friend Ikkaku broke the moment by shouting for him.

"Reeeeenjiiiii!"

He winced and caught Byakua doing the same. Goddamn, did Ikkaku have to be so damn **loud?**

"I should go," Byakuya said in a hushed voice, eyes just that little bit wider. Voice just a touch alarmed. Renji watched as he shrank back, towards the sea.

"Hey," Renji called out, reaching out for him, trying to stop him, "Hey, wait! Where are you-"

But Byakuya was already disappearing, sinking beneath the ocean waves. And Renji had to stop and do a double take. Was... was that a fish tail he'd seen just now? Was... was Byakuya Kuchiki a merman? Or were his eyes playing tricks on him?

He rubbed his eyes and watched the fish tail vanishing beneath the blue. "No way..." he whispered. Brought back to reality quite roughly by Ikkaku shouting his name again.

"RENJI!"

"Yeesh," Renji groaned. Wanting to cover his ears. _Too loud._ "I'm over here!" he shouted back, hoping to preserve what was left of his eardrums. He moved to stand up on the wet sand, feeling the chill of the wind and shivering. Good gods it was cold! Even his teeth were chattering. If he ever made it back home hed be surprised if he _didn't_ get sick from this chill.

He made his way slowly up the beach, still shivering. His arms wrapped around himself in an futile attempt to keep warm as he followed the sound of Ikkaku's voice.

When he found his friend again, he saw the bald man was just about to shout for him again – having just taken in a very deep breath – and Renji shouted back just in time to stop him.

"Oi!"

He watched his friend bound down the beach towards him and grin.

"Heh, we found ya. Only _you_ would manage the incredible feat of getting drunk and then walking off the harbours edge into the water."

Renji scowled. "Yeh, yeh, I'm real stupid. C'mon, let's get outta here before even my _bones_ start chattering from the cold.

Ikkaku smiled. "Hey, you were the one dumb enough to fall in the water," he teased, making Renji scowl.

"Fight me."

"In that state? I'd kick your ass an' ya know it."

Renji's scowl deepened and Ikkaku laughed. "C'mon, Red, Yumi's waitin' fer us."

Renji nodded, still shivering, teeth still chattering, and followed his friend back up the beach to where Yumichika stood waiting for them on the path so they could walk back together. He grinned when he saw them.

"Hey, look what I found all washed up on the beach," Ikkaku smirked. Yumichika laughed.

"Yikes, Renji. Wet dog much?"

Renji growled at that. "That's it. I'll kick both your asses."

Yumi snorted. "In that condition? We'd wipe the _floor_ with you."

Ikkaku nodded in agreement. "That's what _I _said."

Renji scowled at them both, but they only laughed.

"You know, Ren, one of these days someone will ask us how you died, and the only answer we'll be able to give would be 'stupidly'."

"sh-shutup!" Renji snapped, though with how much he was shivering, he probably just looked really pathetic. "I aint _**that**_ dumb!"

"Says the guy who walked off the edge of the harbour and nearly drowned," Ikkaku murmured, making Yumi snicker.

"Hey, speaking of harbours," Yumichika added. "I'm impressed, Renji. You never told us you'd learnt to swim."

Renji blinked. "Huh?"

"Yeah," Ikkaku chimed in. "Did ya take lessons in secret er somethin'?"

"No," Renji admitted. "It was actually nothing like that. You guys aren't gonna believe it, I was actually rescued."

"What? By who?!"

"A merman," Renji told them.

A moment of stunned silence came and passed, with both of his friends looking at him gone out.

Until a second later they both erupted into fits of loud laughter that shattered the quiet of the night as they walked back towards town.

"I think you need to go home and sober up a bit, Renji..." Yumichika told him, trying to keep a straight face. Ikkaku however just kept cackling. So much so he couldn't even _breathe. _

"Oh," he wheezed, "Ohh, that was a good one, Red..."

Renji wasn't sure if he should be outraged or not. "But... but it's true! I saw him," he protested. But they just kept on laughing. Why didn't they believe him? "Guys, I swear, I'm not making this up!"

"Renji..." Yumichika sighed, "mermaids don't exist. I think the alcohol is messing up your brain."

Ikkaku snorted with laughter. "Either that or you swallowed too much seawater."

"But... but..." Renji stammered. "It's true! I did see a merman..."

His friends sighed at him, patting his shoulders. "Yeah, okay buddy, you saw a merman. We believe you," Ikkaku said. Though he was obviously just humouring him. "Now c'mon, let's get you home so you can sober up and get warm and then tomorrow you can tell us what _really_ happened, yeah?"

"B-but... but... I..." Renji began, trying to wrack his brain for a comeback to that, but he was too far shivery and cold and his friends were too set in their opinions. So he just sighed heavily and went along with them, letting his friends lead him back to town again so they could all go home.


	3. Chapter 3

A/n: I'm back with ch3. Thanks for your patience, 2020 is currently kicking my ass so hard and it's not been fun at all. Especially having to be an essential worker through all this mess. But on the plus side here's chapter 3 which was prompted by Mpreglover11. Thanks for your kind review :) I was beginning to think people had given up reading my bleach stuff. Anyway, enjoy some pining.

And please do review if you like this and want to see more. Reviews mean more content for this fandom. Thanks.

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Chapter 3

Byakuya dove down beneath the deep, and out of sight of the lovely human he'd encountered. The human he'd saved from drowning. Despite all of the clan's rules against interacting with humans.

His heart thumped as his body seamlessly adapted back to breathing underwater again. The change nearly painless now from years of visiting the shores, where before it'd only been painful. Too many nights breaking the clan elders rules had seen to that. But then he'd always been a rebel.

When he was far enough away from the beach to go unnoticed by the human and his friends, Byakuya's head broke the surface of the sea, and he watched his fiery human walk away. Utterly captivating him with every step he took.

"Renji..." he said to himself, barely audible over the waves of the ocean, picking up now it was high tide. Repeating the human's name to himself over and over again so he wouldn't forget it. "Renji."

He wanted to burn it into his mind. Burn Renji into his memory forever. Just in case he never saw the man again. Knowing the memory would comfort him in the long, lonely nights in the depths of the sea in the caverns of his family manor.

Even when the human – Renji – was out of sight, he lingered for a few moments more. Part of him wishing he would return. Though that was impossible. At least, not so soon after being saved from drowning. Renji needed to dry off and warm up so he wouldn't catch hypothermia and die. Humans were much more fragile beings that merfolk, Byakuya knew, and Renji would need time to recover from his drowning.

After a few more moments contemplating the fragility of things, eventually he ventured below the waves again. This time heading deeper, towards Undersea, to his home, where hopefully his absence had gone unnoticed.

The city was still dark when he returned, and all the lights in the Kuchiki manor were off. Save for his own dim light in the window of his bedroom. The window still open so he could sneak back inside. From the light above filtering down through the deep from the sky above, dawn was slowly approaching, and soon the sun would rise even if he didn't want it to. Dawn would bring a new load of drudgery. Meetings with the elders pressuring him to choose a new bride he didn't want. Endless piles of paperwork and documents to sign and review. And all manner of other trivial tasks he was unable to delegate. Then there were the court attendances. Rubbing shoulders with the upper schools of society, including the Merking and Merprince.

Byakuya found himself exhausted already just thinking about it all.

He approached the manner, swimming swift and silent through the deep blue, checking the guards weren't on patrol in this section of the manor before quickly making his way up to his window. Still open from when he'd left it hours ago.

He opened the window just a little wider so he could squeeze his long blue tail through the gap and closed it again once he was inside. Letting out a sigh of relief now he was back where he belonged. And that he hadn't gotten caught on his night time trip to the shores of the human town. If the elders ever found out about that...

He shook the thought away. No, none of that... he had more pleasant things to think of tonight. Like a certain fiery redhead human.

He was so intriguing... so beautiful... and he looked to strong, too. And so _colourful. _He's so rarely seen humans with unnatural hair colours or so many black markings. Did he use the same leviathan ink the merfolk did? Kraken ink was said to be indelible, and stain even the bones of those who adorned their skin with it. He wondered if Renji's bones would have the same markings as his skin.

He didn't know. And he wished he'd had the opportunity to ask. But unfortunately Renji's friends had come and, fearing what might happen to him upon discovery, he'd fled the scene.

Oh, if only he could talk to Renj again, and have a real conversation. Then he could learn more about him, and human life, and maybe they might even fall in love and...

Byakuya forced that thought away. _Don't be ridiculous, _he told himself. _He's a human. It'll never work. And the chances are you'll never see him again anyway. _

He sighed heavily and glanced out of the window, unable to help but want. But dawn would come soon, and if he wanted to have any energy at all for the day ahead, he'd need all the sleep he could get. If he could get to sleep, that was. His mind was so very busy, replaying what happened earlier, and running off on a tangent of what might happen if he ever saw Renji again. His heart thumo-thump-thumping away in the background

It was hopeless, of course. But still... it could happen. Even if the possibility was slim.

He swam back over to his alcove again and curled up, closing his eyes in the hopes it would trick his body into falling asleep. But even as his body relaxed, his mind was still intent on thinking of Renji. The man who hadn't looked at him with the gleam of greed in his eyes or the coldness of malicious intent. But a gentle fascination instead. It was almost as if Renji revered him for what he was, unlike most of the humans Byakuya had heard such dread tales about from his fellow merfolk.

It was strange. But not the unpleasant kind of strange.

It was the kind of strange that made Byakuya's heart flutter and heat rush through him even though his tail was cold blooded. Made him just want to sit and stare at this fiery human for a whole moon's turn.

He sighed softly at the thought. Wondering if he'd possibly ever see Renji again. Or if Renji was feeling the same way he was right now.


End file.
